New Student and Parent Resources

Money Matters

Money Matters is the student financial reference guide published each semester and contains information regarding tuition and fees, financial aid disbursement, important deadlines and more.

Estimating Costs

The most substantial costs associated with attending SDSU are Tuition & Fees and on-campus Housing & Meal Plan fees. The Office of Admissions publishes Estimated Costs of Attendance each year which provides holistic cost estimates. You can also estimate the financial aid you may receive by using Financial Aid's Net Price Calculator.

Tuition Requirements

At SDSU there are three separate Tuition charges, but not all of them may apply to you. An overview is provided below. For detailed information please refer to the Tuition & Fees page.

Basic Tuition & Fees are required of all students attending SDSU.

The cost of Basic Tuition is dependent on your status (full vs part time) and program (undergraduate vs graduate). Please refer to the Basic Tuition table on our Tuition & Fees page to determine costs for your program.

Non-Resident Tuition & Fees are required for students who are not residents of California (international and out-of-state).

Non-Resident Tuition is charged at a rate of $396 per unit of coursework enrolled. For example, if you enroll in 15 units you would owe $5,940 in Non-Resident fees.

Please note: Effective Fall 2023,  incoming out-of-state and international students will be required to pay a new Out-of-State and International Student Fee in addition to Non-Resident Tuition.

Non-resident students in any SDSU doctoral program, including joint doctoral programs, are exempt from paying the Out of State and International Student Fee.
 
In addition, non-resident students serving as Teaching Associates (TAs) will be exempt from paying the Out of State and International Student Fee. This is subject to obtaining proper authority following CSU established policy/procedures with UAW, which is in process.

For more information visit the Tuition and Fees page.

Professional Program Fees are only applicable to graduate students (MBA level) enrolled in the College of Business.

These fees are charged at a rate of $270 per unit of coursework enrolled. For example, if you enroll in 15 units you would owe $4,050 in Professional Program Fees.

On-Campus Housing

All incoming first-time freshmen from outside SDSU’s local admissions area* are required to live on campus their freshman and sophomore years. For information about pricing please refer to the Housing Rates webpage.

*Students are in the local admissions area if they will graduate from a high school in San Diego County located south of state route 56 and extending eastward or from a high school in Imperial County.

Managing Educational Expenses

Paying for higher education can be a financial burden on both the student and family which creates stress for all involved. However, there are various resources available to help prospective students alleviate the financial burden.

To help you manage the cost of your educational expenses we offer Installment Plans (payment plans). Installment Plans are available Fall and Spring semesters for:

  • Basic Tuition & Fees
  • Non-Resident Tuition & Fees

There are no Installment Plans for summer/winter session, nor for Professional Program Fees.

To learn more please visit our Installment Plan page.

Form 1098-T is prepared annually and posted to your student's my.SDSU Financial Account at the end of January. Your student can retrieve the 1098T electronically by following these directions. Note: any Parent Accounts created CAN NOT access 1098-T; ONLY a student may retrieve the form using their own student credentials.

For more information, visit the University Bursar's Office's 1098T website.

Students of all class levels should complete FAFSA at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa to be considered for all types of state and federal aid.

You are also encouraged to use SDSU's Scholarship Search Tool to find scholarships (scholarship funds do not have to be repaid).

For questions regarding Financial Aid at SDSU, contact the Financial Aid Office.

SDSU has many resources to facilitate student employment. You can gain valuable job experience and earn extra money at the same time!

Handshake, is Career Services’ powerful recruiting platform for San Diego State University students and alumni.  Handshake uses cutting edge technology to help you more easily connect with employers and source jobs, internships, event information, and On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) opportunities. 

Billing & Payments At SDSU

SDSU is a post-pay campus which means, all students will be allowed to register first, and will be able to pay later. Refer to your my.SDSU Financial Account Tile for your specific due date and paying your tuition and fees.

Making payments online is fast, convenient, and secure. Step by step instructions, including visuals, for how to pay Basic Tuition & Fees are posted on How to Pay Basic Tuition & Fees.

The following charges are included on Student Statements (eBills):

  • Basic Tuition & Fees
  • Equitable Access (EA)
  • First Year Experience Fee (FYE)
  • Graduate Student Experience Fee (GSE)
  • Graduate Student Health Insurance
  • Immediate Access (IA)
  • Student Involvement Representation Fee 
  • Tuition installment plan payments
  • Housing & Meal Plan installments

You may request billing to a third party sponsor/agency for Tuition and Fees. However, as a student enrolled at SDSU, you are ultimately responsible for paying all balances owed. This includes balances defaulted by your sponsor.

To set up third party billing, please have your agency submit a Financial Guarantee* with the following:

  1. Your name (the student)
  2. Your student red ID number
  3. The specific charges and term for which the agency will pay
  4. Agency billing information and address
  5. Name, signature, and contact information of the sponsor authorizing the billing arrangement
  6. Purchase order information (for government contracts)

*Letters supplied by an organization for admissions purposes are not acceptable for third party billing.

Please remit your Financial Guarantee to the University Bursar's Office via the following:

  1. Email: Contact Form
  2. In person: Student Services West, Room 2536
  3. Mail:
    ATTN: University Bursar's Office, SSW 2536
    San Diego State University
    5500 Campanile Dr
    San Diego, CA 92182-7425

Parents & Privacy (FERPA)

"What do you mean you can't discuss the account with me? I'm paying the bills!"

The Family Education Rights & Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records, including financial records. For a student's information to be disclosed to anyone, the student must authorize the individual.

If someone other than the student will be paying the bills, a Alternative Payer Account may be created which will allow the individual to make payments to SDSU on the student's behalf. 

Authorization to Release Student Information (FERPA)

Your student records, maintained by San Diego State University, are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA gives you the ability to release your education records to third parties, such as a parent, guardian, spouse, etc.

These steps allow you to authorize the Office of Admissions, the Office of Housing Administration, the Office of the Registrar, and/or the Cal Coast Student Financial Center to share your records with your third-party designee(s). Granting access to one office does not grant access to the other offices. This release only covers documents noted in the section below and you can make changes at any time.

*Be sure to check the boxes for each office permitted to disclose information to the authorized individual. Once your Privacy Settings are updated we will be able to discuss information with your parent (or anyone else you authorize).

Set up an Alternative Payer Account

If someone other than the student will be paying the bills, a Alternate Payer Account may be created which will allow the individual to make payments to SDSU on the student’s behalf.

Please note: A parent account via my.SDSU will only allow you to make general payments towards your student's account. Please work with your student to get specific detials of charges on the student account.

Additionally, simply creating an alternate payer account does not authorize you to receive student information from SDSU staff.  Authorization to Release Student Information would be needed as well.

Student Financial Checklist

  • Review your Financial Aid via my.SDSU
  • Pay Basic Tuition & Non-Resident/Professional Program Fees by the payment deadline.
  • Provide Authorization to Release Information
  • Create a Alternative Payer Account for anyone who will pay your bills
  • Sign up for Direct Deposit  to receive your refund faster!
  • Opt-in for electronic delivery of form 1098-T
  • Read Money Matters (student financial reference guide)